Gorila Mugabe departió en beatificación

Publicado en
26 junio 2011
por Ivonne Leites. - Atea y sublevada.

Dictator Robert Mugabe arrived in Rome for the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II, a diplomatic relationship exists between Zimbabwe and the Vatican, a sovereign state that is not a member of the European Union.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe (3rd L) and his wife Grace (2nd L) attend the John Paul II Beatification Ceremony held by Pope Benedict XVI on May 1, 2011 in Vatican City, Vatican. at St. Peter's Basilica on May 1, 2011 in Vatican City, Vatican. The ceremony marking the beatification and the last stages of the process to elevate Pope John Paul II to sainthood was led by his successor Pope Benedict XI and attended by tens of thousands of pilgrims alongside heads of state and dignitaries.

Members of Zimbabwe Delegation arrive at John Paul II Beatification Ceremony held by Pope Benedict XVI on May 1, 2011 in Vatican City, Vatican. The ceremony marking the beatification and the last stages of the process to elevate Pope John Paul II to sainthood was led by his successor Pope Benedict XI and attended by tens of thousands of pilgrims alongside heads of state and dignitaries.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace arrive at the John Paul II Beatification Ceremony held by Pope Benedict XVI on May 1, 2011 in Vatican City, Vatican. The ceremony marking the beatification and the last stages of the process to elevate Pope John Paul II to sainthood was led by his successor Pope Benedict XI and attended by tens of thousands of pilgrims alongside heads of state and dignitaries.

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Mugabe in Rome for pope’s beatification

April 30, 2011

Rome (CNN) — Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrived in Rome for the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II, airport officials said Saturday, despite his EU-wide travel ban for alleged human rights abuses.

The Vatican did not personally invite Mugabe to the Sunday event, said the Rev. Federico Lombardi of the Holy See Press office.

But a diplomatic relationship exists between Zimbabwe and the Vatican, a sovereign state that is not a member of the European Union.

“It (the Vatican) cannot tell Mugabe not to come if he wants to take part, just like it wouldn’t tell no to (U.S. President Barack) Obama or (French President Nicolas) Sarkozy, if they had wanted to come,” Lombardi said.

The beatification is the biggest event in Vatican City since Pope John Paul II’s death six years ago.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful will gather in St. Peter’s Square to witness the ceremony, the penultimate step toward the pontiff’s sainthood.

On Friday, workers exhumed the pope’s casket from its tomb in the Vatican Grottoes.

“As can be recalled, the Pope was buried in three coffins,” Lombardi said. “The first of wood — which was displayed during the funeral. The second of lead, which is sealed. And the third — external one — which is also made of wood and was the one revealed this morning at the moment of the extraction from the tomb.

“It is in a good state of preservation, even though showing signs of the passage of time.”

After the Sunday ceremony, the casket’s permanent home is likely to be the basilica’s Chapel of St. Sebastian.

Beatification means the candidate can be referred to as “blessed,” and that one miracle has been confirmed in his or her name. Another miracle is required for canonization, the formal act of declaring someone a saint.

While normally a person cannot become a saint until 50 years after their death, John Paul II was put on a fast track to sainthood by the current Pope Benedict XVI, who waived the normal five-year waiting period to begin the beatification process.

The city will also provide 3,000 police and traffic officers, thousands of volunteers and additional buses and metro services.

A no-fly zone will be in effect over St. Peter’s Square, and field hospitals and medical assistance points will be set up.

The cost of the beatification ceremony to the city of Rome alone will be 3.5 million euros, according to government officials.

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace arrive at Rome's Fiumicino airport Source: AFP

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has landed in Rome to attend the beatification of late pope John Paul II at the Vatican.

Mugabe, 87, who obtained a special exemption from a European Union travel ban to make the journey, arrived in Rome's main airport.